Emerging Leaders

2021-2022 NCACES Emerging Leaders

We are pleased to announce the NCACES 2021-2022 Emerging Leaders.

Dr. Alexander Becnel has been selected as the New Professional Emerging Leader, and Sharazazi Dyson and Kailey Bradley have been chosen as our Graduate Student Emerging Leaders.

Dr. Alexander Becnel Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor at Kansas State University in the Department of Special Education, Counseling, and Student Affairs. Since joining the faculty at KSU in fall 2021, Alexander has authored a peer-reviewed study that was published in The Professional Counselor journal as well as a chapter in an ACA-published book titled Leadership & Advocacy in Counseling: Strengthening the Future of our Profession. Through partnership with the University of Holy Cross in New Orleans, he established the first international counseling course for KSU graduate students, with the inaugural course set for summer 2022 in Italy. Alexander is dedicated to researching suicide and risk assessment preparation for school counselors, and has presented related programs at seven national conferences. Alexander has also served as a conference proposal reviewer for the National Law and Ethics in Counseling Conference for the past three years. Alexander served as President of the Association for Graduate Students in Counseling at the University of Holy Cross and was the recipient of the Outstanding Doctoral Student in Counselor Education and Supervision award during his graduation ceremony in May 2021. His work as a counselor educator is greatly influenced by his previous experiences both as a high school counselor and as a clinical counselor in private practice.

Sharazazi Dyson is a doctoral candidate in the Counselor Education and Supervision Ph.D. program at Northern Illinois University. She is the President of the Rho Alpha Kappa chapter of Chi Sigma Iota at NIU and she serves as a counseling supervisor for Masters-level Practicum students. She is also a mental health counselor with a private practice in Illinois, where she counsels adults, youth, and families. She enjoys researching the intersections of professional identity, power, race and systemic disparities and has presented on these topics at conferences such as ACES, ICA, and IAMC. Outside of the counseling field, she is a mentor, Chairwoman of a nonprofit, sorority sister, and friend.

Kailey Bradley LPCC-S (OH) has a background in hospice work and feels that companioning and advocating for grievers is her life’s passion. Kailey is currently a doctoral student in counseling education and supervision at Ohio University. Kailey specializes in working with individuals of all ages, with special interest and care given to children’s bereavement, complicated grief, perinatal loss, and chronic illness. Kailey has completed training at the center for loss and life transition and is a licensed clinical thanatologist.
Kailey is also an adjunct professor at Ashland Theological Seminary where she teaches grief and crisis counseling courses.